Do you/have you played any non-D&D/d20 Fantasy RPGs?

[The Cardinal]

I've seen GURPS mentioned a lot; what is that?

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/


GURPS is a (despite its reputation) relatively simple "generic" system - I use it almost exclusively for everything from modern conspirational horror to fantasy, science fiction and historical martial arts.

GURPS Lite is *free*

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/


GURPS sourcebooks exist for almost anything and have a deserved rep as being the best on the market. A lot of useful stuff (including access to playtest material) not just for GURPS can also be found in Pyramid - the best $15 you'll ever spend on gaming!

http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/

(tell them Keyser_Soze sent you!)

 

[SableWyvern]

I've played a heap of different games, but the only ones in the traditional fantasy genre besides D&D have been Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Rolemaster (oh, and MERP, which is really Basic RM). It's been ages since I touched WHFRP, so I'll only comment on RM:


The original Rolemaster (by Iron Crown Enterprises or ICE) came into being in the very early 80s, IIRC. It was originally designed as a set of modular expansions for D&D/AD&D, divided predominantly into Arms Law, Claw Law, Character Law and Spell Law. The first two offered a more detailed combat system, the second a skill-based character generation system and Spell Law more detailed magic system.

The system was reformatted into 2nd edition in the late 80s/early 90s, and was by this stage well and truly being marketed as a game in its own right. Differences between 1st and 2nd were essentially improved organisation and format. Both editions are commonly referred to as RM2.

In the late 90s the third edition, Rolemaster Standard System (RMSS) was released. This included the adoption of many optional/alternate rules that had been previously released in RM2 Companions. In a fit of marketting stupidity, a dying ICE then released a reformatted and abridged version of the RMSS as Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying (RMFRP), only a couple of years later.

Key Elements of the System

d100 based

Most weapons have a unique attack table, which references an attack roll (modified by the defenders dodge/parry), with the type of armour being worn. HP (actually called hits) represent shock, bruising, bleeding and the like. More serious damage is much more specific, and causes appropriate penalties. Hence, in RM you can suffer fractures, torn muscles, severed limbs, burns, organ damage etc...

The number of attack and critical tables has resulted in the alternate name "Chartmaster"

Level and skill based. Characters can develop a wide range of skills at each level. Essentially, the game is not level based in play. Resistance Rolls (DnD: saving throws) and spell efficacy are the only things truly level dependant. Everything else (and even those things, to some degree) depend on which skills a player chooses to develop.

Class based (Classes are called Professions). The choice of profession determines two things - what spell lists the character has access to, and what his skill costs are for each skill. The professions are really not restrictive - its basically like playing a purely skill-based system, but being able to tailor your skill costs to suit a concept before starting.

RM is suitable for low through high-magic play, although the nasty damage system means that high-combat play = lots of character death and maiming. Even the lowliest kobold could kill a mighty adventurer with a single lucky shot. RM veterans realise that combat should never be a first result, and like to fight on their own terms when fighting is necessary.

Combat tends to be fairly slow, and the character gen system is one of the most time consuming of any game system out there. With a skilled GM, though, the game is quite simple from a players perspective. Most people who have played it seem to either love or hate it. There is very little middle ground.

 

[WayneLigon]

I've seen GURPS mentioned a lot; what is that?

Go see for yourself GURPS Lite is a free PDF download that showcases all the important aspects of the game. You could, if you wanted to, run a campaign based just on this.

GURPS Lite

 

[Garmorn]

I will add a few of the older systems to the list:

Dragonquest *
Runequest *
Universe
Durkearth *
Primedirective
Starterk RPG
Fantacy Trip *
Driod

And these are just the ones I remember from the 80's

 

[kengar]

Also, I've seen references to a CODA game system--what is that?

iirc, CODA is the mechanic for the LOTR RPG that Decipher just released.

WHFRP & Runequest are my main FRPs (as opposed to modern settings like CoC) apart from D&D.

 

[JeffB]

I love D&D in all it's forms, but many times I'd rather play the following Fantasy RPG's..not neccessarily in order..well except for RQ2...that's my all time fave RPG...depends on my mood really..D&D is just one of MANY great RPG's out there..

1) Runequest 2
2) LotR RPG from Decipher
3) Earthdawn
4) Exalted ( I run it like Glorantha on Steroids not Anime..way cool)

That's just fantasy games though..I love D6 Star Wars, CoC (both d20 and BRP versions), SAS (tri-stat), Justice Inc./Espionage from HERO, MSPE, the old James Bond game...so many cool games...just not enough players or time..

 

[Bryan Vining]

I'll also add a couple of fantasy RPGs to the list:

HarnMaster/HarnWorld
Chivalry & Sorcery (free lite version available at http://www.britgamedesigns.co.uk/download/freebies.html)

Both have a strong historical base, with Chivalry & Sorcery being very like Medieval Europe (includes the Catholic Church, even).

HarnMaster is a game, while HarnWorld is the setting for the game. They can be used independently. Harn is heavily based on 13th centruy England in flavor, and the rules try to simulate life in that era.

 

[Tsyr]

I'll take a couple and detail them too.

Earthdawn is what I would be playing if somehow DnD never existed but everything else did. To condense a long story, basicly a bunch of beings called The Horrors over the world of Earthdawn, forcing everyone into hiding. Time passes, people crawl out of hiding to try to rebuild the world. Most of the horrors are gone, but not all of them. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Windlings, Obsidmen, and a lizard race that I to this day can't remember. It's a cross between dark fantasy (The world still has Horrors, the people are on edge, some of the races suffered really heavily, etc) and high-fantasy hope-inspiring game. Got a very cool magic system, and it has lot of stuff dealing with the power of names... For example, all sentient races are refered to as "The Name Givers" or similar. Magic items that have lost pasts that unlock as you learn more about them, etc.

Talislanta: Talislanta is similar in many ways to Earthdawn, but also different in a number of ways. Alot of the general feel of the world is similar, though not quite so "dark"... tons of races (something like 30), but no elves, dwarves, or humans. A very cool freeform magic system, and the simplest dice mechanic I know of... everything, and I mean EVERYTHING mechanical in the game is done with a single d20, and the chart of rules in the game is about the size of a credit card.

Exalted rocks . Ok, more detail... Exalted uses White Wolf's "Storyteller" system, though its not quite the same system as in Vampire or Werewolf. It's hard to describe Exalted... I guess "semi-dark high fantasy anime-inspired asian-eurpean blend gaming in a time of change and turmoil, playing as chosen warriors of the Unconquered Sun with powers that make you a force of nature unto yourself, fighting against similarly empowered beings with the blood of the great Elemental Dragons flowing through their veins, while old allies and enimies form an uncertain web of trust and betrayal all around you". Except that in no way does justice to the sheer glory of the setting, nor does it go into the fact that you can actualy play the aformentioned dragon-blooded folks, or actualy several other types of powerful half-mortal humans. Rules for cinamatic fighting and stunts (doing really elaborate, out of this world, action-movie-impossible stunts is not only expected, it's encouraged and sometimes even needed), complex chains of magical abilities for even the burliest fighter, magic that at it's highest levels can bring life to a dead valley ala the Genesis Torpedo in Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, rules for magical suits of mecha-armour similar to those in the anime Escaflowne, your characters wielding weapons that no mortal could LIFT, much less fight with... It's all in there. It's not, of course, for the people who like doing anything subtle... You Harn folks would probably die from massive heart failure to even read the book ... but it's currently my favorite game in all creation.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

We have played WHFB & The Fantasy Trip in the past. Most of our fantasy games are D&D though.

 

[Tsyr]

And then we have Hackmaster, a sprucing up of old DnD 1E/2E with it's own unique flavor injected.

Ooo, another one I forgot... Riddle of Steel, which is a really good system to try to imitate a Conan-esq game... Magic is very scarce and dangerous to cast (Ages you, much like Wish used to... but all magic does)... the combat system is probably the most advanced one I've ever seen in an RPG... hands down. First you choose who has initative. Then you choose what your posture is (Agressive, neutral, defensive). After that, it becomes a dice-pool management session... You have so many "point" you can spend per combat. Each move can be done at almost any level of "points". So, for example, if I had a shortsword and arming dagger, I might choose the option "Cut and Thrust". If I had 14 dice to play with, I might assign five to cut, and five to thrust. Then I choose the targets... For the sake of arguement, I'll cut diagonal down from shoulder to hip, and then thrust to his head, since he's wearing a chainmail tunic that my dagger wouldn't hurt, but his helmet is open faced. He then has the option to parry, dodge, block, evade, etc. Say he tries to parry. Well, since I saved some dice, I spend those four dice I have left on "feint", and turn my thrust to his head into a thrust to his groin. Not as good a target since his chainmail tunic is kinda in the way, but I might nick him.

And that's just a tiny bit of a combat